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Are Sears Homes valuable?

Are Sears Homes valuable?

“It was really solidly built.” From 1908 to the 1940s, Sears, Roebuck sold an estimated 70,000 kit homes in about 370 different styles, from Colonials to bungalows. In the 1920s, prices ranged from about $600 to $6,000, which is roughly $8,400 to $84,000 in today’s dollars.

When were Sears houses built?

1908
Sears barely exists as a retailer any more, but homeowners still adore the “kit” houses it fabricated and shipped across America from 1908 to 1940.

How do you tell if your home is a Sears home?

Is My House a Sears House?

  1. Look for stamped lumber in the basement or attic.
  2. Look for shipping labels.
  3. Check house design using a book with good quality photos and original catalog images.
  4. Look in the attic and basement for any paperwork (original blueprints, letters, etc).
  5. Courthouse records.

How many Sears homes still exist?

The Magnolia home was one of the largest offered through the Sears catalog. Sears sold more than 70,000 mail-order homes between 1908 and 1940. Some enthusiasts estimate that about 70 percent of Sears houses are still standing today.

Where were most Sears homes built?

Because these homes were constructed using pre-cut lumber and plans provided by Sears, these homes can be considered to be “Sears Modern Homes”. Many of these homes were built in Sears planned “Home Club Plan” developments in New Jersey, New York, Ohio and Pennsylvania.

What makes a home Craftsman style?

The common features of the Craftsman style include low-pitched gable (triangular) roofs, overhanging eaves with exposed rafters and beams, heavy, tapered columns, patterned window panes and a covered front porch. Craftsman house exteriors emphasize harmony with surrounding nature.

What year did Sears stop selling houses?

1940
Sears, Roebuck and Company’s Modern Homes program began in 1908 and ended in 1940. During those years, about 75,000 well-designed, well-constructed and economical houses were sold to American families.

When did Sears stop selling house kits?

According to the US Census, there were about 88.7 million people living in the United States. There were about 132 million people by the time Sears stopped selling Sears Modern Homes kits in 1940.

Do I live in a Sears home?

If you find a home similar to yours and the web site provides the name of the home model, then look for it in a Sears home catalog. If you find a house like yours in a Sears Home catalog, check out the floor plan. If it is a two story house, check out the floor plans for both floors.

What happened to Sears houses?

Sears discontinued its Modern Homes catalog after 1940. Sales through local sales offices continued into 1942. Years later, the sales records related to home sales were destroyed during a corporate house cleaning.

Did Sears make Craftsman homes?

From 1908 to 1940, Chicago-based Sears sold between 70,000 to 75,000 homes—”from Craftsman to Cape Cods, they offered a custom home at budgets and sizes that could accommodate any size family,” according to Popular Mechanics—which were sent via train car and set up as far afield as Florida, California, and even Alaska.

How can you tell if a house is a Craftsman?

How many homes did Sears sell in 1930?

Sears did not sell 100,000 homes, as is commonly reported by the media. In their 1930s promotional literature, Sears reported, “100,000 homes now backed by our guarantee” (see 1934 Sears Modern Homes catalog, rear cover) but this “guarantee” encompassed the sales of Sears building materials, too.

Do you know how many Sears kit homes were built?

If you think houses built from kits are shoddy, cheap and obvious — think again. Between 1908 and 1940, Sears sold about 70,000 kit homes in 48 states through their mail-order Modern Homes program, with 370 designs that you might not readily recognize as a kit.

How did Sears Modern Homes change the world?

Indoor plumbing and homes wired for electricity were the first steps to modern kitchens and bathrooms. Sears Modern Homes program stayed abreast of any technology that could ease the lives of its homebuyers and gave them the option to design their homes with modern convenience in mind. History of Sears Modern Homes The hour has arrived.

What was the name of the Sears kit house?

“You have a Sears kit house,” the man told his new neighbor. “It was called the ‘Argyle’.” Quite delighted, Kathleen and Sam went to their local library and found a copy of a 1919 Sears Homes catalog: indeed, there was the familiar house plan.